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Jumping up on people is a natural canine behavior. Dogs get to say hello face-to-face when they jump. Even better, it鈥檚 guaranteed to get attention.
However, from a human point of view, jumping to greet is annoying and possibly dangerous. Clothes can get soiled by muddy paws and people, especially seniors and children, can be knocked over. It鈥檚 more polite and far safer to teach your dog to greet people appropriately.
Why Dogs Greet by Jumping
Dogs repeat behaviors that earn them rewards. And few things are more rewarding to your pet than your attention. Similarly, other family members, visitors, and strangers can all reinforce the behavior too. Even negative reactions (like yelling at your dog or grabbing their paws) are still attention and can reinforce the behavior. For many dogs, pushing them away is simply part of a wrestling game.
To eliminate jumping from your dog鈥檚 greeting repertoire, you need to eliminate the associated rewards. That means managing your dog so they don鈥檛 get the chance to practice jumping, as well as teaching them an alternative, more appropriate way to greet people.
How to Train an Alternative Greeting Behavior
If you ignore your dog when they jump, theoretically their jumping behavior should eventually stop. After all, it鈥檚 no longer being rewarded. However, every person you encounter in your home or on the street isn鈥檛 going to know those rules. And even worse, that can be frustrating for your dog. They need to be taught what to do instead.
How you want your dog to greet people is up to you. You might simply want all four paws on the floor, or you might want your dog to sit or lie down. But remember, you need to tell them what to do, not just what not to do. For example, 鈥渟it鈥� for greetings is an easier rule than 鈥渄on鈥檛 jump.鈥�
How to Train 鈥淔our on the Floor鈥�
You can teach your dog to keep all four paws on the floor when they greet people by placing treats on the floor during greetings. The idea is to prevent your dog from jumping by rewarding them before they can even think about leaving the ground. The following steps will teach 鈥渇our on the floor鈥�:
- With your dog on leash, have somebody approach your dog.
- Before the person gets to your dog, toss several treats on the floor.
- While your dog is eating off the floor, have the person pet and greet them.
- Before your dog is finished eating, have the person back away again.
- After several repetitions, repeat the steps above. But this time, extend the greeting, continuing to toss treats on the floor the entire time.
- Once your dog can keep all four feet on the ground, let them greet the person before you place the first treat on the ground.
- As your dog begins to understand the rules, you can feed fewer and fewer treats until the greeting is the only reward.
The trick to this technique is being fast with the treats. You need to anticipate your dog鈥檚 jumping behavior and provide the goodies before it can occur. If you鈥檙e too late and the dog jumps, have the person turn and walk away as you stop feeding the dog. In time, your dog will come to realize that having four paws on the floor brings attention and treats, and jumping brings nothing.
How to Train 鈥淪it鈥� For Greetings
Another appropriate greeting behavior is sitting for pets and hellos. Like the training method above, your dog will learn that when their butt is on the floor, attention comes their way. But when they get up, the attention all stops. The following steps will teach sit for greetings:
- Tether your dog鈥檚 to a doorknob or piece of furniture.
- From several feet away, ask your dog to sit. When they do, calmly approach. If they stand up, turn and walk back to your starting point and ask for the sit again. If they stay sitting, go up to them and quietly praise and pet them. If they stay sitting, keep greeting them. As soon as they stand up, turn and walk away.
- As your dog begins to understand they need to sit to get your greeting, you can make your approaches more and more exciting.
- Once your dog has mastered sitting for greetings with you, go back to step one with friends and family members.
Remember, the more your dog practices sitting, the easier this exercise will be for them. There鈥檚 no point in teaching sit for greetings if your dog is still struggling to sit without distractions. Sitting should be your dog鈥檚 way of saying 鈥減lease.鈥� Having them sit before going outside, getting their dinner, and so on makes sitting for greetings easier to train.
How to Prevent Jumping While You Train
While you鈥檙e teaching your dog an appropriate greeting behavior, you need to manage their behavior so they don鈥檛 get the chance to practice jumping. For example, if your dog has a strong 鈥�go to your place鈥� cue, you can send your dog to their or crate anytime the doorbell rings. Alternatively, you can place a at your entranceway so your dog can鈥檛 get to visitors. Putting your dog on leash whenever guests arrive can also help you prevent jumping.
Another management trick is keeping and at the front door. You can throw the reward away from the doorway to occupy your dog鈥檚 time while your visitor enters. Or your guest can use the treat or toy to reward your dog for greeting them appropriately.
It can be particularly hard to prevent jumping when you鈥檙e walking your dog. You can鈥檛 expect strangers to know or abide by your rules. Until your dog understands appropriate greetings with friends and family, try to avoid having them greet strangers. Instead, get your dog鈥檚 attention with a 鈥�watch me鈥� cue or by and letting the stranger walk past.
When your dog is ready to try greeting people on the street, be sure to tell people the procedure. Ask them to ignore your dog if your dog doesn鈥檛 follow the rules. Soon, your dog will understand how to say hello politely, whether at your front door or out on the sidewalk.